Can-heading machine.



PATENTBD SEPT. 4, 1906.' I G. H. STEWART. GAN HEADING MACHINE.

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APYLIOATION FILED JULY 28,-1905.

N0- 830,189. PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906. G. H. STEWART. CAN HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZB, 1905.

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any., @f4 2f-@f NTED STATES PATENT orinon.V

GEORGE-H. STEWART, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA'.

cAN-HEADiNe. MAcHlNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sptj 4,1906.

Application filed July28, 1905. Serial No. 271,691.

T0 nil 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residin at Los Angeles', county of Los Angeles, and tate of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in-Can-Heading Machines', of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for applying heads to can-bodies; and my object is l generally to secure such accurate alinement The invention consist #inthe features and combinations and arrangement of parts herematter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

sitioning and holding jaws in different posi.-

tions from that of Fig. 4, some parts being omitted and some being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one' of the movable jaws with means for adjustably holdingl the same. Fig. 8 is a front view of the jaw of Fig. 7 with parts in section.

In carrying out my invention I feed the can-bodies and heads automatically to revistering and holding means at which a field of force is created, acting to hold the said heads `vwhile being brought .into proper alinementv lwith the bodies for the heading operation; The bodies are fed continuously by gravity down a chute, with their end portions resting on the ledges or rails 1, while the heads are similarly fed from the tables 2 into grooves 3, down which they roll, on edge, by gravity. The lowermost can-body ofthe series, together with its pair of heads, rests at first upon the overhanging lips or rimsl 4 ot'he'aders 5 5Fl, which by being in constant rotationbrin around the mouthsV or inlet-'s aces 6 of sai headers into' position beneat @fthe said -can- 6o' parts, which immediately drop into thespace between the'plain faces or disk `portions 'Z 'of said headers.V The mouths or inlet-openings 6 are provided simply -by omttin the over-1 hanging rim or rest 4 for a art of t e circurn: 65 ference of the headers. T e faces or disks 7,

it will be noticed, are erpendicular to the axis of the can partswlgen in position to r ceive the heading pressure. .I'n the space be' tween the vertical faces ofthe headers I cre- 7o y ate a field of force designed to act on the canheads, causing them` to be drawn against thel vertical faces .ofthe headers in position to be accluratel registered with the vcan-body, as wil be from electromagnets 9, carried 'by the headers, with their polei'eces 9 directed toward the space between t e headers into-Which the can parts enter, so that as soon as the said 8o can parts come into the magnetic field the heads will be drawn a ainst the' faces of the headers, or rather against the inserted pieces' which is carried by each header on its inner 95 vertical face 7. In the position of Fig. -4 the jaws are o en to receive the can parts, and the heads being now subjected to the action of the ma nets are held against the faces of the heade s, while the jaws close and acculoo rately register the heads and body for the longitudinal pressure necessary to effect the heading operation. j

. The energizing of the electromagnets is preferably' intermittent, and when so ap- :o5

liedit is timed to take place when the caneads have reached their approximate positions. Supposing this to have taken place` in Fig. 4 and the headers rotating in the direction of the arrow, thel movable jaw willv 11o close in respect to the fixed jaw until the position of Fig. 5 is reached. In this action the 4 ereinafter described. The force ',whichIpreferismagnetic,derived,preferably,

jaws will move the can-heads over the face of the headers until they aline accurately with the can-bodies, all the while said can-heads being subjected to the attractive force of the electromagnets. This force is such as to holdthe heads, but4 not sufficient to offer obvjectional resistance to the alining action of the jaws. When theljaws reach the closed position` of Fig. 5,the longitudinal heading pressure is applied by moving one header axially in respect to the other. For this u`r' pose a grooved cam 15, fixed on the sha t 16 of one header, is emplo ed, which coperates with a roller 17, j ournalcd on a pin carried by a fixed bracket 18, so that said shaft is given longitudinal reciprocatory movement for the heading operation. The continued rotation of the headers'in the directionY of the arrow, Figs. and 6, brings the registering and holding jaws into the position shown in Fig. 6, at which point they have opened, and the movf able header having been retracted mean- While from the other header the headed can is discharged into a chute19. This dischargjing' action takes place by gravity; but I prefer to employ discharge-arms 20, one of which attached to each of the movable jaws to give the can a discharging-impulse.

Having described the general movements 'and actionsof the organs operating directly upon the can parts, I will now referto the mechanism-for actuating said organs.. The .might-hand headerl5, Fig. 1as before described, is supported by a shaft 16. This is .adapted to rotate in bearings 21 22. The -left-hand header 5 is keyed to a hollow -shaft 23', rotating in bearings 24 25, and 'driven by a pulley 26. Rotary motion is communicated from theleft-hand headerto the right-hand header and its shaft Vand .cam

' 15 througha pin 27, fixed to the said left- 'hand header and passing through an opening in the face? late 7 ofthe right-hand header, so asto a low reciprocation of the latter while rotated constantly by said pin. The Amovable jaws are carried by a rod 27 X, passing through the hollow shaft 23. This rod is operated to give to the movable jaws their lo ening and closing movements in respect to t e fixed jaws by a crank-arm 28, fixed thereon and pivotally connected to an eccentricstrap. 29, the eccentric of which, 30, turns on a stud' 31, fixed to the disk or face plate 32,

whichmay also be a crank. This member 32 is keyed on the hollow drive-shaft 23. The eccentric has an arm 33, connected rigidly thereto and pivotally connected to a link 34, which in turn is pivoted to a bracket or stand- 'ard 35 o n the basje of the machine. The positions of the crank, eccentric, arm, and link f'or the receiving, registering, and discharging positions of the movable jaw are indicated n Fig. 4'and in dottedlines in Figs. v5 and 6, and it will be noticed that the arrangement is such that the operation of said parts results from the constant rotary movement of the disk 32 in unison with the headers.` This operating mechanism for the movable jaws is located at one end of the machine, leaving the space between the headers free and unobstructed, except for the presence of the 'head has a brush or contact plate 40, carried lby a pin 41, insulated from the header and passing into the same, from which pin the current is conducted to the coil of the electromagnet by a spring 42. The current is grounded through another pin 4 3, extending into the shell of the header and through the metallic parts of the machine and its frame.

There is a contact device, as above described, for each header. -At each revolution of the headers the brushes 40 contact with the plates 36, and the electromagnets are energized at the proper moment to-attract and hold the can-heads for the 'registering action by the jaws.

Referring again to the feeding in of the can-heads, I arrange a pin on the inner face of each header in the path of the can-heads. One of these pins is shown at 44, Figs-4, 5, and 6. Their function is to arrest the movement of the foremost can-head, and thus hold back the other can-heads in their guides or chutes until the cut-off action takes place by the closing of the aws onto the can pa-Its which have assumed approximate positions. The pin preventsany can-head other than that being acted on from leaving its chute until the jaws in closing have acted like a feed cut-off. The can-head chutes are made wide enough to allow the heads to move freely without binding, and should the foremost head be allowed to assume its position for heading before the feed-cutting-off action .of the jaws begins the heads would be free to move past the said foremost head, owing to the width of the mouth of the chute left completely open b y the complete advance of the foremost can-head.

The registering and holding jaws are of special formation to accurately register the can parts, avoid excessive wear, and particu- -larly that which in practice heretofore results from the cutting action of the-rough edge of the flange against the surface of the jaw by which it is alined. These jaws are illustrated in detail in Fig. 2, and the movable jaw is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Each jaw comprises a bearing-surface 45 for the ex-yV terior of the canehead and a bearing surface or rib 4 6 for the exterior of the can body near the end thereof. The bearing-surface 46 is of smaller diameter than the bearing-surface 45, andbetween these two bearing-surfaces a groove 47 is formed.. The position of the canparts in',relation to these bearing-surfaces andthegroove in the jaws is illustrated that when the heading pressure is applied Y to be Worn-in the jaw by its abrading action,

advantage of this,st`ructure, as above'indicated, is that the jaws vare relieved from wear which4 would result vfrom the contact of the roughedge of theange, which rough edge,

it has been foundin practice, causes a groove thus destroying the use of the said jaw as a means for accurately holding theV head. In my invention the entire cylindrical surface Lwhich is de ended upon'to accu- 'muy aan@ the he?. with the body( bears only on that portion lof the 'can-head Which'is smooth, firm,' and true, thus insuring an alinement of the utmost delicacy and anentire absence of distortionin/the jaws from wear due to the usually abrading action of the rough edges of the can-head.l L Each jaw is slightly flared at 48.

v While I have described electromagnetic means for creatng' a field of force at'the headers to cause the can-heads to be heldthereon, Ido not limit myself in this respect,

though this forms the best means now known to me for'this purpose. One advantage-of the" electromagnetic means is its susceptibility of instantaneous control. i y

' It willbe seenv from the above that the canheads will be held accurately in perpendicularposition to the normal axis of the canbodies b beingl drawn and held' against the vertical aces'of the headers. In the heading of cans as heretofore practiced it has been necessary in' order to properly feed the canheads to allow sufficient clearance in the guiding or holding members to permit the heads to reach their proper positions, and this clearance gives r1se to serious disadvantages y in the registering of the can heads and bodies,

for thereason thatthe can-heads are liable to tip and lie in positions slightly inclined to the axis y of the can-body, thus rendering header'jams likely to occur when the heading pressure is applied, and, further, by reason of the liability of the can-heads to assume the inclined position referred to it has vless diameter t 45k are relatively`- bodies, ,by reason of the fact that the cantact will been found necessaryl to make the can-.heads larger than necessary to accurately fit the can-bodies, so that notwithstanding the inclinedosition which the can-heads may assume t e bodies will enter therein. By reason of this extra diameter which it is necessary to give the can-heads they fit the bodies loosely and frequently come off therefrom in` the subsequent operations.

With my invention the heads can be formed with the interior diameter of their cylindrical flan es of the same and of even hanY the exterior'of the canheads can be held accurately perpendicular to the axis of the bodies by.v being attracted against the faces of'the headers, and a maximum len th and strength of frictional cone secured between the body and theheadwhen the heading action is completed.- v

` It Will be understood that where I emplo)Y the term attract.in referring to the action of the force employed to act on the can-head I do so in a generic sense as including attraeI tion per se or1 any equivalent holding action. The movable jaw which is associated with the movable header is arranged to shift along thesaid shaft to accord with the movements of the header, and it is held to the said header by a clip 50, Fig. 1. In order to adjust the. movable jaW about the shaft 27X and in relatin to the jaw fixed to the header, I en'iploy Aan arm 51,'ixed by a set-screw 52 to the said shaft and havin an adjusting-screw 53, headed at 54 an( engaging the jaw, a lock-nut being provided at 55. The head 54 of the adjusting-screw engages a slot 56 in the Said adjustable jaw, so that in the movement of this jaw due to the movement ofthe header 5 axially the screw will not become detached from the .adjustable arm. Thefmovablejaw 14 has a groove 14x to permit it to pass over the pin 44.

I do not limit myself to moving onlr one of the headers'nor in any respect except as set forth. in the appended claims.

1. A can-heading machine comprising a support for maintaining the head in proper position, movable means for alining the can parts, means for positioning and holding the said can-head on the said support und er pressure, said positioning meanspcrforming its function independently of the alining means, and means for giving an axial pressure. to the parts to unite the body and head, substantially as described.

2. `A can-heading machine comprising sup` porting means adapted to position the head erpendicular to the axis of the can to be iieaded, means Afor :dining the can head and body for the hez'iding pressure, means for creating a field of force al or mljaeent the surface of said supporting means lo attract or lOO adjustable press the can-head against said4 surface, the said force acting on the can-head independently of the alining means, and means for 'l and means for registering the can head and body, the said can-head being lshifted by the said registerin means over the said supporting-surface W ile held thereagainst. by the said force and means for giving'an axial pressure to the partsto unite the body to the head, substantially as described.

4. A can-heading machine comprising a supporting-surface formaintaining the canhead perpendicular to the axis of the can to be headed, means for intermittently creating a field of force for positioning and holding the head against the said support,`the intermittent application of said force synchronizing with the intermittent arrival of the canheads at the predetermined position, and

means for giving anv axial pressure to the` parts to unite the body tially as described. l 5. In combination in a machine of the and head, substanclass described, jaws for receiving and alining ca'nhead per endicu the can parts, a supjort for maintaining the y ar to the axis of the can to be heade means for creating a field of force to position the said canhead against the said support, and means for giving an axial pressure to the arts to unite the bodyI and head, substantial y as described.

6. In combination in a machine of the class described, a jaw for receiving the canhead,'a support for maintaining the can-head erpendicu ar to the axis of thecan-body to be headed, means independent of the jaw for creating a force to position the said head' against the said support, said force pervading l the space adjacent the said support, means for moving the jaw after the head has been positioned by the said force against the said support, 'and means for giving an axial pressure to the arts to unite the .substantial y'as described.

7. In' combination in a machine of the class described, supporting means for maintainin the can-head perpendicular to the axis o the can to beheaded, a magnet for creating 'a field of force adjacent the said suportin means to position and hold the canvead t ereagainst and means movable over the face of the supporting means for alining the can head and body for the heading pressure, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a machine of the class described, supporting means for maintaining body and head,

'the can-head perpendicular to the axis of the can to be headed, a magnet for creating a Vfield of force adjacent the said supporting thereagainst, and means for alining the can head and body for the heading pressure, said alining means shifting the can-head over the supporting-surface while'heldthereon by the action o f the magnet, substantially as described.

9.v -In a machine of the class described, supinthe desired (position, an electromagnet for creating a fiel of force to hold the can-head against said support, means for energizing the said electromagnet intermittingly and means for alining the can head and body, substantially as described.

having surfacesagainst which the can-heads are to be held, means for creating a field of force betweenI said headers to position and hold the can-heads against said surfaces, means for feeding the can'parts in between the headers, means'foralining the can parts,

said headers .to unite the can parts, substantially as described. I

l11. In combination, the rotating headers having surfaces against Which the can-heads force between said headers at predetermined intervals t'o position and hold the can-heads against ,said surfaces, means for feeding the can parts in between the headers, means for alinin the can parts, and means for altering can parts, substantially as described.

' 12. In combination', the rotating headers having surfaces against which the can-heads are to be held, means fo'r creating a eld of forcebetween said headers, means for feeding can parts means for alining the can parts consisting o'f the jaws rotatin with the headers meansfor alterin the relation etween said headers to unite t as described.

13. In combination, the rotating headers having surfaces against which the can-heads are t.,be held,l means for creating afield of force between said headers, means for feeding can parts, means for alining the can parts consisting of the jaws rotating with the headers and having opening andclosing action, one of said jaws being fixed to the header and the companion jaw being-movable in relation to the fixed jaw, and means for altering the .relation between said headers to unite the can parts, substantially as described.

means for creating a field of force between them to position and hold the can-heads against said headers, means for regulating the feed of the can parts'consisting of the means to position and-hold the can-hea f 10. In comb'nation, the rotating headers' and means for altering the relation between and having opening and c osin action, and y e can parts, substantially 14. In combination, the rotary headers,

porting means for maintaining the can-head .are 4to be held, means for creating a field of the re ationbetween said headers to unite the for holding the can-heads under overhanging rim of the headers cut away at one part to leave an inlet, means for aliningthe can parts, and means for altering the relation between said headers to unite the ca parts, substantially as described.

l5. ln combination, the 4rotary headers, means for creating a field of force between them to hold. tlienan-heads thereto consisting of the magnets carried by said rotary headers, means for alining the can parts, and means for altering the relation between said. headers to unite the can parts, substantially as described.

16. In combination, the rotary headers, means for creating a field of force between them to hold the can-heads thereto consisting of the electromagnets carried by the headers to one side of the axis thereof, means for energizing the magnets and means for alining the can parts, substantially as'described.

17. In combination the rotating headers having opening and closing action, a driving connection Abetween said headers, adapted to p ermir` said opening and closing action, means ressure against the faces oil' the said hea ers and means for driving the rotary headers, substantially as described.

18. In combination, the rotary headers having opening and closing action, the fixed jaws carried by the rotary headers, movable jaws, means for rotating the headers and a rod carrying the said movable jaws with means for operating the said rod, said means boing located outside of the space between the headers. p

1 9. In combination, the rotating headers, the alining-jaws rotating therewith, and means for giving an opening and closing action to the jaws as they revolve, said means being located outside of the space between the headers, substantially as described.

20. In combinationthc rotating headers, alining-jaws rotating therewith, and means for giving one jaw an opening and closing movement in relathm to its companion jaw, said mea-ns being connected to revolve with the headers and transmit the said opening and closing action to said movable jaw.

2l ln eon'ibination' the rotary headers, the alining-jaws between them, revolving therewith, a member revolving with the headers, driving connections between the said member and the movable jaw and controlling connectibns between a part of the frame and the said driving 'connections for converting the rotaryY motion of the said member to a relative oscillating motion of the movable ]aw,

substantially as described.

22. In combination, the rotary headers, a hollow shaft on which one is supported, aliningjaws between the headers, one of said j aWs-being movable in respect to the other, a rod passing through the hollow shaft and means at the outer end of said rod for rotating the same differentially to secure an opening and closing movement of its jaw in res ecttothe companionjaw, substantially as escribed.

23. In combination, the rotary headers,

the jaws between them, and means for giving I anopening and closing movement to one of the jaws, comprising a member revolving with the headers, an eccentric journaled thereon, a crankdriven by the strap of the eccentric, a connection between said crank and the movable jaw, an arm connected with the eccentric and a link connecting the said arm pivotally with a part of the frame, sub, stantially as described. A 24. In a can-heading machine, a jaw having a space within which to receive a canhead and having also an annular bearing-surface for the body and an annular bearing-r surface of larger diameter for the head, with a groove between said `surfaces relatively fixed with respect. to said surfaces to receive the rough edge of the head-flange, alone, said groove opening into and extending laterally from the space within the jaw, substantially as described.

25. In combination, the rotating headers, means for creating a force intermittently to hold the can-heads against .said headers, the aiming-jaws rotatingltl'ierewith, means for giving an opening and closing action to the 'jaws as they revolve with the headers, and means for altering the relation between said headers to unite the can parts, substantially as described.

. 26. In combination in a maehinevfor applying heads to cans a heading member, a movable jaw'and a fixed jaw coperating to hold the head of the can, a rocker-rod, a dog or arm fixed thereon and a connection inter-. mediate said armand the movablejaw, said connection permitting relative longitudinal movement of the movable jaw axially in relation to the rod and the arm thereon and permitting'adjustment ofthe said movable jaw circumferentially and in respect to thel arm fixed thereon for the purpose described substantially as set forth.

' In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. GEORGE H. STEWART.

HENRY E. COOPER, vEDWARD N. SARToN.

IOO 

